Tarp Program

No, this isn't about bank bailouts; no troubled asset relief program here!  This morning Attila came by to return my log splitter (he used it to process nearly three face cords) and to give me a large white plastic tarp.  He returned after lunch with a brown one.  These tarps cover boats in winter storage at the local marina.  Once the boats go back in the water, the tarps become surplus.  If residents don't take them, they end up in a landfill.  Attila wisely suggested using them to cover the large woodpile.  Protected from rain and snow, the wood will be easier to split and use.

They aren't attractive, but the tarps will help keep some of
my woodpile out of the weather.

Scrambling over the woodpile to place the tarps was no easy chore.  The pile was wet from last night's rain, and the wood was slippery.  (The hard rubber soles of my boots made it even more slippery.)  I don't need a broken leg!  We weighted the tarps with logs, which I hope will hold them in place.  However, the wind up here can be brutal.

After Attila's first visit I ran over to Netta's for one last plant — this time Black Snakeroot, Actaea racemosa.  Snakeroot (also called black cohosh) is native to eastern North America and is part of the buttercup family.  It should grow 4-5 feet tall and about 2-3 feet across.  The snakeroot will help fill the area in front of the mud room/laundry.  Its dark foliage should stand out nicely against the light brown siding.

Black Snakeroot.

The pathway slowly grows across the back (or front) yard.

I also extended the wood chip pathway around the rock garden.  This helps keep me from walking in the mud all the time. •••